Mousseaux v. United States Commissioner of Indian Affairs

806 F. Supp. 1433, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17698, 1992 WL 337421
CourtDistrict Court, D. South Dakota
DecidedOctober 27, 1992
DocketCiv. 91-3005
StatusPublished
Cited by38 cases

This text of 806 F. Supp. 1433 (Mousseaux v. United States Commissioner of Indian Affairs) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. South Dakota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mousseaux v. United States Commissioner of Indian Affairs, 806 F. Supp. 1433, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17698, 1992 WL 337421 (D.S.D. 1992).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

BATTEY, District Judge.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Plaintiff Rolland Richard Mousseaux, a/k/a Rolland Richard Driver (Mousseaux) filed a complaint on February 6, 1991, against the named defendants. His complaint indicates numerous statutory and civil rights violations stemming from two criminal prosecutions, one by the federal government and one by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, both of which were based on an assault committed by Mousseaux in Indian country.

Mousseaux is proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis in this civil action. On February 12, 1991, before any responsive pleading to his complaint was filed, Mous-seaux amended his complaint to allege two new statutory violations involving defendants Woodrow Starr and Steve Gurue, and to add Dennis Holmes as a new defendant. The amended complaint alleged that Holmes was involved in the two new statutory violations along with defendants Starr and Guerue.

On May 13, 1991, defendant United States of America (the government) moved to dismiss Mousseaux’s claims. The basis for the government’s motion was Mous-seaux’s failure to file an administrative claim . with the appropriate government agency as required by the Federal Tort Claims Act, 28 U.S.C. § 2675.

The government characterizes Mous-seaux’s claim as one sounding in tort rather than a civil rights claim because Mous-seaux failed to allege intentional discrimination by the various defendants. Failure to file an administrative claim is a jurisdictional defect under the Federal Tort Claims Act. The government does not specifically invoke a statutory basis for its motion, but the argument for dismissal based on the fact that Mousseaux has failed to allege intentional discrimination must be viewed as a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6). The motion for dismissal based on failure to file an administrative claim in accordance with the Federal Tort Claims Act must be viewed as a motion to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to Fed. R.Civ.P. 12(b)(1).

Defendants Janelle Reynolds, Sherman Marshall, Bob Brown, and Virgil Hauf also moved to dismiss Mousseaux’s claims against them on the ground that, among other things, Mousseaux failed to state a claim and that this Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction. Mousseaux responded twice to this motion. The three defendants who have not answered or filed a motion to dismiss are federal employees. Their claims should be considered to be covered by the government’s pleadings. Thus, before the Court are motions to dismiss covering all claims asserted by Mousseaux against all defendants.

FACTS

On February 25, 1990, Bureau of Indian Affairs officers arrested Mousseaux on tribal charges of assault. On April 20, 1990, a federal indictment was entered against Mousseaux, charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon in violation of federal law. On April 24, 1990, the tribal charges were dropped and Mous-seaux was released. Mousseaux was held without bail in tribal jail from the date of his arrest in February until the tribal charges were dropped in April. On May 2, 1990, Mousseaux was arrested on the federal charges. A jury trial was held on October 30, 31, and November 1, 1990, in *1436 which Mousseaux was convicted of the charges against him.

DISCUSSION

A. Standard to be Applied

1. Construction of pro se Plaintiffs Pleadings

Because Mousseaux represents himself in these proceedings, his pleadings must be “liberally construed and can be dismissed only if the face of the complaint shows an insuperable bar to relief.” Holt v. Caspari, 961 F.2d 1370, 1372 (8th Cir. 1992) (citing Haines v. Kerner, 404 U.S. 519, 520-21, 92 S.Ct. 594, 595-96, 30 L.Ed.2d 652 (1972)). In addition, facts alleged by a pro se plaintiff in a response to a motion are to be viewed as de facto amendments to the plaintiffs complaint. Ketchum v. City of W. Memphis, 974 F.2d 81, 82 (8th Cir.1992).

2. Motion to Dismiss for Lack of Subject Matter Jurisdiction

The subject matter jurisdiction of federal district courts is wholly a creature of statute. Continental Cablevision, Inc. v. United States Postal Serv., 945 F.2d 1434, 1435 (8th Cir.1991). When a motion is made to dismiss a complaint for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, the issue to be addressed is whether the court is empowered to hear the class of cases in which plaintiffs claim arises. Id. at 435-38. Whether or not plaintiff has stated a cause of action is a question going to the merits of the case and can only be addressed after a court assumes jurisdiction over the case. Id. at 1438. Therefore, if a court has jurisdiction over the class of claims into which plaintiffs claim falls, the court should assume jurisdiction unless the claim is “wholly insubstantial and frivolous.” Bell v. Hood, 327 U.S. 678, 682, 66 S.Ct. 773, 776, 90 L.Ed. 939 (1946).

3. Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim Upon Which Relief Can Be Granted

When a motion pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6) is made, the court must view all well-pleaded factual allegations in the complaint as true and cannot dismiss the complaint unless it appears beyond a doubt that no set of facts can be proved which would entitle the plaintiff to relief. Ket-chum, 974 F.2d at 83; Dicken v. Ashcroft, 972 F.2d 231 (8th Cir.1992); and Concerned Citizens v. N.R.C., 970 F.2d 421, 425 (8th Cir.1992). All reasonable inferences arising from the facts pleaded must also be construed most favorably to the plaintiff. Concerned Citizens, 970 F.2d at 425. A district court’s ruling on a Rule 12(b)(6) motion is reviewed on a de novo basis on appeal. Ketchum, 974 F.2d at 83; Dicken, 972 F.2d at 233; and Concerned Citizens, 970 F.2d at 425.

.Taking all of the above into consideration, two issues are raised by the defendants’ motions:

1. Whether, liberally construing the factual allegations made by Mousseaux in his complaint and pleadings responsive to the government motion, no set of facts could be proved which would entitle Mousseaux to relief; and
2.

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Bluebook (online)
806 F. Supp. 1433, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17698, 1992 WL 337421, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mousseaux-v-united-states-commissioner-of-indian-affairs-sdd-1992.